SpaceX puts Monday launch of 64 small satellites on hold

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A Space X Falcon 9 stands ready during final preparations on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at Vandenberg AFB. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base is now scheduled for 7:13 a.m. PDT Friday. (Photo by Gene Blevins for the Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The mission, known as SSO-A or SmallSat Express, of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 64 small satellites represented one of the most ambitious projects for the Hawthorne-based rocket maker led by Elon Musk as well as Spaceflight Inc., a Seattle-based company that coordinated the payload.

Earlier this week, Curt Blake, president of Spaceflight, commented on the challenges of a launch that would disperse 49 satellites no larger than the palm of a hand, known as cube satellites, and 15 others called micro-satellites that are less than 220 pounds.

“Complexity touches every part of rideshare missions, including integrating payloads, placing multiple satellites on orbit, and managing regulatory needs,” Blake said. “Now with more than 60 payloads on a single mission, the complexities are amplified.”

While Blake did not rule out future missions of this size, he did say that small to medium size rockets would more likely become the norm.

Among the dozens of satellites on the SSO-A mission that are going to need to wait just a little longer to reach low Earth orbit are projects from 34 different organizations. Some will provide important research and imaging technology while others represent art projects and personal memorials.

Additional satellites on the mission include a project by artist Trevor Pagler and the Nevada Museum of Art that will unfurl a reflective plastic that should shine in the night sky. Another by artist Tavares Strachan in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will contain a 24-karat-gold jar shaped into the bust of Robert Lawrence, who was the first African-American astronaut.

The launch if it’s rescheduled before the end of the year would also represent a milestone for SpaceX as it would break a company record of 18 launches in a single calendar year. The 18th launch for SpaceX came on Thursday from Florida. It would also be the first time the company re-uses a first-stage booster that flew twice already, in May and August.

11/19/18: This article was corrected to reflect Curt Blake is the president of Spaceflight Inc. quoted by journalist Peter de Selding.

David Rosenfeld has been working as a professional journalist for nearly 20 years in newspapers, magazines and websites. He's covered murder trials, interviewed governors and presidential candidates and once did a flip in a biplane for a story assignment. Before joining The Beach Reporter in 2017, he managed a website on outdoor recreation and wrote about health care policy in Oregon. In his free time, David loves outdoor sports such as sailing, mountain biking and golfing.